This video is available as a NAESPA membership benefit or for a limited time as a conference attendee.
|
80 :
50
OPENING KEYNOTE - Ashlie Crosson, 2025 National Teacher of the Year
Our schools are storybooks: Narratives built on shared elements, yet uniquely written by the people, choices, and moments that define them. Teaching in the same community that my family has always called home, I’ve learned that our education systems don’t just shape student success, they impact the trajectory of entire towns. In this keynote, we’ll focus on chapters of district leadership, local impact, and classroom transformation to underscore an enduring theme: education is a public good– and when we empower our learners to author their own chapters, we strengthen the American story itself.
This talk was presented at:
2026 National ESEA Conference
February 2026
in
Denver, CO
Speakers
Ashlie Crosson
Ashlie Crosson, the 2025 National Teacher of the Year, serves as an English teacher at Pennsylvania’s Mifflin County High School, where she aims to prepare her students to navigate the complexities of our global society. Crosson believes in building a strong curriculum that develops communication skills, empowers students to solve problems and expands their worldview. Crosson teaches Advanced Placement language and composition, English 10 and Survival Stories, an elective that approaches global humanitarian crises from a youth perspective. She also advises the journalism program, which publishes the school newspaper and district magazine.
Crosson received her master’s degree in educational leadership at Penn State University and a gifted endorsement from Millersville University. In 2018, she became a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms fellow. She says the fellowship transformed her pedagogy, helping her to reframe curricula around competencies that empower students’ voices.
As a first-generation college student, Crosson found that teachers and counselors were essential to her success. She says their support inspired her to become an educator, so she could give to another generation what had been given to her. Crosson has expanded opportunities for her colleagues and students, such as launching MC Goes Global, an international travel program to enhance student learning opportunities. In class, her students can be found researching the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and building websites as often as they are reading novels and writing papers.
Crosson strives to create learning experiences that resonate with her students, foster empathy and build critical thinking skills. By advising the journalism program, Crosson has positively influenced her students’ academic and career opportunities. Many in the program have found success beyond high school and are now editors for college media, interns at television stations and writers for regional newspapers.
As the 2025 National Teacher of the Year, Crosson will spend a year representing educators and serving as an ambassador for the teaching profession.
ESEA Network
The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators is dedicated to building the capacity of education professionals to provide disadvantaged children with a high quality education. Their ESEA Network website provides a host of resources to educators at all levels.
Connect With Us
 |
 |
 |
 |
Contact Us
admin@eseanetwork.org | 800-256-6452
532 North Franklin Street | Fort Bragg, CA 95437
About Us
The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (formerly the National Title I Association) is dedicated to building the capacity of education professionals to provide disadvantaged children with a high quality education. Their ESEA Network website provides a host of resources to educators at all levels.
Connect with Us
|
|
|
|
